


Five Years, Five Months

by idraax



Series: Star Wars Snippets [3]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Multi, eventual OT3
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-30
Updated: 2014-08-29
Packaged: 2018-02-15 08:30:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2222388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idraax/pseuds/idraax
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Anakin dies, gets resurrected and has to figure out how to fit into Obi-Wan and Padme’s lives(slow build OT3)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Mustafar still happens. 

It always seems to be fire. No matter what he does or tries to do, his life seems to be forever linked to fire. At least, this time, he isn’t the only one burning. 

Sidious screams as the fire devours him. Obi-Wan and Padme, are somewhere inside the base, unconscious, but safe. 

Sidious’ skin is darkening and falling off. Anakin’s own is dissolving, disappearing into blue light as he pours his soul into keeping Sidious from being unable to use the Force. 

The Force twists and turns on itself, a snake chasing its own tail. It causes the rocks around them to crumble and the lava to rain down upon them as it turns into ash. 

For the briefest of moments, Anakin feels a certain sympathy for Sidious, but the temple is a burnt ruin and corpses lie within it and the hatred that he has been shielding from himself and the world comes roaring out into the Force. 

"Yes," Sidious screams even as his vocal cords crumble, "let it flow through you!"  

The last bit dissolves into a scream that sounds like the very darkness that surrounds them in the Force. 

Anakin acknowledges his anger, feeling out the shape of it and the debris it has left behind, before he lets it go. The Force lightens a fraction and the darkness screams, free from the confines of its mortal shell. 

Anakin’s metal arm thuds to the ground, joining his clothes and boots,His lightsaber is the last to follow and there is a blue light where he once stood. 

It rushes towards the darkness and splits, cleansing as it devours. The Force  _wails,_ a soul tearing sound that makes every single Force sensitive in the galaxy fall to pieces.

The planet erupts. 

In the Separatist base, a light surrounds Obi-Wan and Padme, shielding them from the debris that falls around them. Part of the Force is draped over them, a blanket of protectiveness that the Jedi can sense when they come to find them. The signature that makes it up is one that they should have expected. 

They find Anakin’s clothes, metal arm and lightsaber. There is nothing left of his body. 

What remains of Sidious is a pool of melted metal that was once his lightsaber. In it is a single red crystal. 

Padme tosses it into the lava. No one complains. 

They pick up what remains of Anakin. Obi-Wan holds the lightsaber, gently, gingerly. Padme grips the arm tightly enough that her fingers begin to bruise. 

They leave the clothes. No one looks back as they board the ship and it lifts off with a quiet rumble that sounds enormous in the silence that permeates the planet. 

The return to Coruscant is too soon and not soon enough. 


	2. Chapter 2

One year after Anakin’s death on Mustafar, Obi-Wan Kenobi leaves the Jedi Order. Noone is surprised. What is surprising is the fact that Padme Amidala leaves the Senate in the same year. 

Five years after Anakin’s death, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Padme Amidala get married. They sleep together, although the empty space in their bed is wide enough to fit a third and sometimes they’ll call out a name that isn’t either of theirs. Overall, they are fine, if not happy and content. 

Five years and five months after Anakin Skywalker dies, he returns. 

Obi-Wan and Padme are jolted awake by a thud coming from the living room of their house. Obi-Wan reaches for his lightsaber, once again forgetting that he has given it up, before he grabs a blaster from the nightstand. 

Padme has already pulled on a robe, grabbed her own blaster and headed towards the sound. 

At the sound of her scream, Obi-Wan does not bother with the clothes and goes running, pulling on the Force as he does so. 

The Force feels strange and Obi-Wan realizes why the moment he stops cold in the doorway. 

_Anakin_  is there, sprawled on the floor, looking very confused. He is naked, part of Obi-Wan notes, but the rest of him is attempting to take in the fact that Anakin is here, breathing,  _alive_. 

“ _Is he real_ " Padme asks, shakily pointed the baster at Anakin’s chest. 

Obi-Wan nods. Through the Force, he can feel Anakin’s unshielded presence. It’s mostly confused, but there is an undercurrent of sadness within. Obi-Wan resists the urge to hide his wedding ring. 

"I-" Anakin breaks the silence. His voice is hesitant, far more hesitant than they had ever heard before, but it is still  _his_. 

"Can I borrow some clothes," Anakin asks and shivers. There is a tinge of red on his face. 

Obi-Wan jumps and trades a glance with Padme. They had nearly forgotten about that, although parts of them may have been taking notes. 

"Er…yes, I’ll get you some," Obi-Wan says awkwardly. 

"Thank you," Anakin replies, shivering again. Padme grabs a blanket from the nearby sofa and flings it over him. Anakin tucks himself into it tightly. 

"I forgot what temperature feels like."

Padme has seemed to remember how to be a good host, because she immediately heads towards the kitchen. 

"I’ll make us breakfast," she says, "you must be hungry." 

The latter is directed towards Anakin. Obi-Wan does not usually eat in the mornings. 

She leaves them in increasingly awkward silence. 


	3. Chapter 3

Obi-Wan’s clothes are too short. They feel strange on his skin. Actually, everything does. He can feel himself blinking, his heart beating and the constant inhale and exhale of his breath. 

He feels removed from the Force too. It’s no longer as accessible as it was before and when he tries to touch it, part of his mind aches. 

Obi-Wan and Padme watch him and he shifts under the weight of their gaze. It’s almost physical and it tears open the parts of his soul that had scabbed over. 

_This too is a part of healing,_ he thinks and takes a sip from the cup in front of him. 

It feels like a supernova has exploded in his chest. The liquid is hot and spicy and he finds himself gasping for breath.  

He finds himself on the floor, curled up into himself. There is a sheet draped over him, light and soft, as if it wasn’t there. The curtains are closed too, the light dim and he can feel himself relaxing and uncurling. 

"Sorry," he whispers to Padme and Obi-Wan’s worried faces. 

Padme moves to sit next to him, careful not to get to close. Obi-Wan sits on the other side of her, scratching at his beard. 

"What happened," Padme asks quietly. 

Anakin frowns, his skin feels to tight and the sensation of muscles moving beneath is an odd one. 

"Everything was…too much," Anakin says. He is struggling to explain, but there is dawning understanding on Obi-Wan’s face. 

"Sensory overload," Obi-Wan murmurs and they both turn to look at him. 

"Well, you were… _dead_ ,” Obi-Wan explains, an odd note in his voice, “it makes sense.”

He can feel the empty space where Anakin’s shields should be. Anakin is unusually calm and for that Obi-Wan is grateful. He does not think he can deal with Anakin’s emotions on top of everything else. 

Anakin nods and moves his fingers. It is strange, both of his hands are human. 

"I don’t have scars either…except for these."

There, on his hands, are faint, burn scars. One of them is a lightsaber imprint. 


	4. Chapter 4

Obi-Wan and Padme were married.

They were still in the kitchen, having just finished breakfast. Obi-Wan and Padme sat next to each other, elbows touching. Anakin sat across from them, plate still half full.

"For five months," Padme had said when Anakin had noticed the wedding rings.

Next to her, Obi-Wan shifted nervously, fingers fiddling with the ring on his finger. Padme gripped his hand, squeezing tightly.

He would have been mad once, Anakin knew. But death had forced him to see the truth of himself and it was  _ugly_ , with wounds that had been infected, torn open and bleeding.

Luckily, they had started healing. The self-awareness had helped with that.

Carefuly, he drew on the Force. It burned a little, his mind still raw, but then it turned cool as the rivers in the temple gardens.

The sadness hit him first, a wall of black fog that prevaded everything and was woven into every facet their lives. There was love too, but it was faint, a barely sprouted seed, but it was  _there_.

"I missed the wedding," he said eventually, suprising them. "Do you have holovids? You both must have looked so beautiful."

He could imagine it too, Padme in a white gown with fancy embroidery that would sound like faint bells with every step she took.

Obi-Wan in a suit wasn’t something he’d had an occasion to imagine before, but his beard would be neatly trimmed and his suit would fit him well.

"We do," Padme replied. "Would you like to see them?"

Anakin shook his head, looking a little wistful.

"Not right now. Someone would have felt the disturbance. I’m sorry, but I believe the Council’s going to come knocking on your door soon."

Obi-Wan started a little; those speech patterns reminded him of the way Qui-Gon spoke.

"He says hello by the way," Anakin said to Obi-Wan. "He’s proud of you."  
He could feel one of the deep wounds that Obi-Wan carried on his soul start to close.

Gingerly, he reached out and took both of their hands in his. They were warm and trembled a little, minute ones that shuddered through him like storms on an ocean.

"I’m sorry I left you both," he said, squeezing their hands gently.

Their touch burned him, but at the same time was a soothing warmth. It felt like the Force when he was immersed in it for all those years before it had gently drew him back together and then yanked him into the physical world.

There was wetness on their hands and the trembling grew stronger.   
He was shaking, he realized, shaking and crying.

"We missed you," Padme whispered, getting up and moving to him, kneeling down to embrace him.

Obi-Wan made a strangled, desperate sound and then he was,  _there_ , hugging them both, grip tight.

Anakin too tightened his grip, unwilling to let them go even as the heat of their bodies became too much to take.

Eventually, they let go, hovering far enough for him to breathe, but close enough to touch.

"The Council will ask for you back," Obi-Wan said eventually.

Anakin nodded. “I don’t want to go back. I did my duty. I’m done.”

"What will you do then," Padme asked.

Anakin shrugged, tapping his fingers on the armrests of the chair.   
"I can pilot. I haven’t quite thought about it yet."

Padme and Obi-Wan exchanged glances again and Padme gave him a slight nod.

"You could stay with us," Obi-Wan offered.

"For however long you need," Padme added.

Anakin gave them both a smile and reached out again, brushing their fingertips.

"Thank you"


	5. Chapter 5

It was midnight and Padme couldn’t sleep. Her dreams were full of fire and death and when she finally opened her eyes, she found Obi-Wan attempting to meditate. 

His face was creased and he looked much older than he was.  

Rising, she went over to brush her fingertips against his shoulders. 

He opened his eyes and looked at her tiredly. 

"I’m going to get some water," she said. "Do you want some?"

He shook his head and she left. 

She found Anakin in the kitchen running his hands over all the fixtures. 

She watched him for a few moments. 

He seemed unused to his body, moving as if he had injuries. He’d keep exhaling in a way that made her suspect that he had forgotten how to breathe for a few moments. 

Eventually, she cleared her throat and he jumped, turning around to face her with wide eyes. 

"I couldn’t sleep," he said after they had looked at each other for a few long moments. 

She nodded, moving over to the cabinets to grab a glass and fill it up from the tap. 

"Neither could we," she said as she shut off the tap. "What’s wrong?"

"It doesn’t feel real," Anakin said after another silence. "I keep thinking I’m having some sort of strange vision and when it goes away, I’ll still be spread out in the Force trying to-"

He stopped, looking at the doorway. 

Obi-Wan had shown up, probably to see what was taking her so long. 

He had a sad sort of relieved look on his face. 

"You’re still here," he said to Anakin. "I thought-"

Padme sighed. They’d never get anywhere with these two unable to finish a sentence.

"I need to finish healing," Anakin said, breaking the silence that had sprung up around them. 

"I-I’m gad I died," he continued and both Padme and Obi-Wan had to reach out and clutch each other. Anakin gave them an apologetic look. 

"I wouldn’t have liked the person I would have become," he said softly. "Death showed me who I was and I needed to change. I still have to change." 

"Do you miss it," Obi-Wan had to ask, "being dead?"

Anakin nodded and then stepped closer to them and slipped into the space that they had left between them. 

"A bit," he said, "but I don’t want to go back because that would mean leaving you both."

There is another long silence, stretching out as the night turns pale. Eventually, Obi-Wan is the one who breaks it. 

"Sleep with us," he said and they both startled, looking at him with wide eyes. 

Obi-Wan turned as red as the sunset on Tatooine. 

"Not like that," he stammered. 

Padme and Anakin looked at each other and laughed. 

"We know," Padme said as she rubbed small circles on the shoulder she could reach. 

"I would like that too," she said to Anakin.

Anakin looked at their faces that were trying to hide their eager nervousness. 

"I’ll try," he said slowly, "but, it might…"

Obi-Wan squeezed his hand and carefully reached out to him with the Force. 

Gently, he drew it around them both, filtering the physical sensations through himself so that they wouldn’t overwhelm Anakin. It made his own skin feel hypersensitive and he understood why Anakin had collapsed earlier. 

"Better," he asked softly as Padme started to tug them both to the bedroom. 

"Much," Anakin said and picked up his pace. 

The bedroom was still dark when they got to it and Padme wasted no time in tugging them both down until they were all in bed.

Anakin wound up being in the middle by unspoken agreement, Padme snuggled close to him and his own head tucked into the space between Obi-Wan’s neck and shoulder. 

They were still linked in the Force and it hummed through them, calm and gentle. 

Anakin curled his fingers around Padme’s wrist, feeling the steady pulse there. His other hand was laced in Obi-Wan’s and one of Obi-Wan’s hands was stroking his hair. 

"We’re here," Obi-Wan murmured softly and Anakin felt himself relax and drift off into sleep. 


End file.
